Category Archives: Finance

Apple Card, a new kind of credit card created by Apple and designed to help customers lead a healthier financial life, is available1 in the US starting today. Customers can apply for Apple Card through the Wallet app on iPhone in minutes and start using it right away2 with Apple Pay in stores, in apps and on websites. Built on simplicity, transparency and privacy, Apple Card has no fees,3 encourages customers to pay less interest, offers an easy-to-understand view of spending and provides a new level of privacy and security. This launch follows the Apple Card preview earlier this month, during which a limited number of customers were invited to apply early.

With no card number, CVV security code, expiration date or signature on the card, Apple Card is more secure than any other physical credit card.

Apple Card’s compelling rewards program, Daily Cash, gives back a percentage of every purchase as cash on customers’ Apple Cash card each day. Customers will receive 2 percent Daily Cash every time they use Apple Card with Apple Pay, and 3 percent Daily Cash on all purchases made directly with Apple, including at Apple Stores, apple.com, the App Store, the iTunes Store and for Apple services.

Apple Card is extending 3 percent Daily Cash to more merchants and apps. Starting today, customers will receive 3 percent Daily Cash when they use Apple Card with Apple Pay for Uber and Uber Eats.4 Customers can request a ride through Uber in more than 700 cities across the globe and order a meal through Uber Eats in more than 500 cities around the world. Apple Card will continue to add more popular merchants and apps in the coming months. For purchases made with the titanium Apple Card, customers will get 1 percent Daily Cash.

Unlike other cash back rewards, Daily Cash is added to customers’ Apple Cash card each day and can be used right away for purchases using Apple Pay, to put toward their Apple Card balance or send to friends and family in Messages.

Apple Card delivers new experiences only possible with the power of iPhone, including reaching support 24/7 by simply sending a text from Messages. To help customers better understand their spending, Apple Card uses machine learning and Apple Maps to clearly label transactions with merchant names and locations in Wallet,5 and provides weekly and monthly spending summaries.

There are absolutely no fees associated with Apple Card: no annual, late,6 international or over-the-limit fees. To help customers make informed choices, Apple Card shows a range of payment options and calculates the interest cost on different payment amounts in real time.

Apple Card also provides a new level of privacy and security. The unique security and privacy architecture created for Apple Card means Apple does not know where a customer shopped, what they bought or how much they paid.

Apple is partnering with Goldman Sachs as its issuing bank. Goldman Sachs will never share or sell data to third parties for marketing and advertising. Apple is also partnering with Mastercard to provide the support of a global payments network.

Availability

Apple Card is now available to qualified customers in the US with iPhone 6 and later. To apply, customers can update to iOS 12.4 on iPhone, open Wallet and tap +. Learn more about Apple Card HERE.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by funds advised by Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited (“Elliott”) for $6.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $683 million, including the assumption of debt.

Elliott’s acquisition of Barnes & Noble, the largest retail bookseller in the United States, follows its June 2018 acquisition of Waterstones, the largest retail bookseller in the United Kingdom. James Daunt, CEO of Waterstones, will assume also the role of CEO of Barnes & Noble following the completion of the transaction and will be based in New York.

The announced transaction with Elliott is the culmination of an extensive Strategic Alternative Review conducted by the Special Committee of the Barnes & Noble Board of Directors, which was announced on October 3, 2018. The Board of Directors of Barnes & Noble unanimously approved the transaction and recommend the transaction to Barnes & Noble shareholders. Leonard Riggio, the Founder and Chairman of Barnes & Noble, has also entered into a voting agreement in support of the transaction.

Barnes & Noble serves 627 different communities across all 50 states, where it remains the #1 bookseller in the United States. Elliott seeks to build upon this strong foundation as it addresses the significant challenges facing the bricks and mortar book retail space, applying a model that successfully turned around Waterstones over the past decade.

Following the close of the transaction, Elliott will own both Barnes & Noble and Waterstones, and while each bookseller will operate independently, they will share a common CEO and benefit from the sharing of best practice between the companies. Waterstones has successfully restored itself to sales growth and sustainable profitability, based on a strategy of investment in their store estate and the empowerment of local bookselling teams. Under Daunt’s leadership and Elliott’s stewardship, this commitment to bookselling excellence will strengthen the ability of both companies to navigate with success a rapidly changing retail landscape.

In anticipation of his new CEO role at Barnes & Noble, James Daunt added, “I look forward greatly to working with the booksellers at Barnes & Noble. Physical bookstores the world over face fearsome challenges from online and digital. We meet these with investment and with all the more confidence for being able to draw on the unrivaled bookselling skills of these two great companies. As a place in which to choose a book, and for the sheer pleasure of visiting, we know that a good bookstore has no equal.”

Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” made history this weekend with a record-shattering estimated global debut of $1,209.0 million, becoming the first film in history to surpass $1 billion in its opening weekend. It reached the billion-dollar threshold in just five days, more than twice as fast as its predecessor “Avengers: Infinity War,” which held the record at 11 days. The film also set domestic and international records.

“Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios team have continued to challenge notions of what is possible at the movie theatre both in terms of storytelling and at the box office,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “Though ‘Endgame’ is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world.”

“From the very beginning with ‘Iron Man,’ all we’ve wanted to do was tell stories that brought these characters to life onscreen the way we’ve experienced them as fans of the comics,” said Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios. “That we’ve had so many other successes in this journey leading to this unbelievable result with ‘Avengers: Endgame’ has been almost entirely due to the fans around the world who have supported us through it all. Our directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, and our writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, really brought this story home, and I am also incredibly thankful for our cast and filmmakers from across the MCU and all who’ve worked so hard to make these films the best they can be, including the amazing teams at Marvel Studios and Disney. And of course, without Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, none of this would have been possible.”

Said directors Anthony and Joe Russo, “We poured our heart and soul into ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ hoping to tell a story that would inspire audiences around the world. Our family of cast and crew felt honored to be entrusted with bringing the Infinity Saga to a close. To Kevin Feige, everyone at Disney and Marvel, and the incredible, global community of fans – thank you.”

Seven years after releasing the first film to ever break the $200 million mark in its debut with 2012’s “The Avengers,” Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Studios have posted the first-ever $300 million domestic debut in history with “Avengers: Endgame.” The film kicked off with a record $60 million in Thursday previews contributing to a record first-day gross of $156.7 million. A record estimated Saturday of $109 million and a record estimated Sunday of $84.3 million bring the estimated debut to $350 million across three days from an all-time industry high 4,662 theatres.

The estimated international debut of $859 million, including a record estimated debut of $330.5 million in China, is also the highest of all time and even surpasses the previous global debut record of $640 million set by “Avengers: Infinity War” last year (which did not include a day-and-date debut in China).

Marvel Studios now holds the top two global openings of all time (“Avengers: Endgame” and “Avengers: Infinity War”), as well as six of the top 10 domestic debuts and two of the top three international. “Avengers: Endgame” is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an unprecedented collection of interconnected films, all of which have opened #1 domestically. Globally, the films have grossed a collective $19.9 billion to date, with the four Avengers films – “The Avengers,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame” – accounting for nearly $6.2 billion. Four of the MCU films currently rank among the top 10 global releases of all time: “Avengers: Infinity War” (#4, $2.05 billion), “The Avengers” (#6, $1.52 billion), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (#8, $1.4 billion), and “Black Panther” (#9, $1.3 billion). All 22 have been highly rated by critics and audiences, with Fresh RottenTomatoes aggregate scores across the board, including nine over 90%, and 21 out of 22 earning CinemaScores in the A-range.

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It is very important to be practical these days especially when it comes to finances. You may have a reliable day job that helps you pay the bills but it’s still very wise to have a back-up plan or additional source of income to help you earn more and save more. Well, these days, you do not need to look far and you do not need to go out of your way since the internet can easily help you. There are many ways to earn extra income in the internet and you just need to find what works for you.

In this article, we will give some examples of ways to earn extra online. Of course, you need to consider your skills and preferences to make things a lot easier for you.

1. Start A Blog – Do you have knack for creating interesting content? Having a blog is a good source of income. However, you need to do thorough preparations that can take months before you see result. First of all, you need to choose a niche for your blog – will it be about movies, music, travel, food, games and others. Then, think of a good domain name that can easily be remembered by users. You also need to find a reliable web hosting site to run your blog. Finally, you should publish high quality and original content to increase traffic to your site that will eventually allow you to monetise your blog.

2. Create Websites For Clients – If you prefer to just create websites then you can find clients that require such service. There are many clients from different parts of the world that require developers to help create their website. This can be a great and stable source of income since clients usually hire developer to maintain blogs.

3. Write Articles – For writers out there, you can work as freelance writers. You need to find clients who require articles, newsletters, press releases, e-books and others written for them. You can earn per article you write. The best part is that you can easily do this in your free time.

4. Start An E-Commerce Site – You can also start an e-commerce shop to sell stuff like clothes, shoes, bags or you can even sell your own products. This is a practical way to fulfill your dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

5. Become A Freelance Graphic Artist – Also, you can work as freelance graphic artist. Clients will send brief on creative materials they need like logo, banners, images, infographics or even videos or animations. You can accept the deal but be sure that you will meet the deadline. The secret to keeping good relationship with clients is to always submit on time. That way, they will contact you in the future in case they have work for you.

Instead of spending hours and hours on Facebook, Instagram or other social networking sites to stalk your ex or your crushes, why not find a suitable online job that you can do on your free time? With this, you will not only use your time wisely but you can also earn extra income to help pay bills and save for your future.

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Apple today announced Apple Card, an innovative, new kind of credit card created by Apple and designed to help customers lead a healthier financial life. Apple Card is built into the Apple Wallet app on iPhone, offering customers a familiar experience with Apple Pay and the ability to manage their card right on iPhone. Apple Card transforms the entire credit card experience by simplifying the application process, eliminating fees, encouraging customers to pay less interest and providing a new level of privacy and security. Available in the US this summer, Apple Card also offers a clearer and more compelling rewards program than other credit cards with Daily Cash, which gives back a percentage of every purchase as cash on customers’ Apple Cash card each day.

A Credit Card Designed for iPhone

Customers can sign up for Apple Card in the Wallet app on their iPhone in minutes and start using it with Apple Pay right away in stores, in apps or online worldwide. Apple Card gives customers easy-to-understand, real-time views of their latest transactions and balance right in Wallet, and Apple Card support is available 24/7 by simply sending a text from Messages.

Easy-to-Understand Spending

Apple Card uses machine learning and Apple Maps to clearly label transactions with merchant names and locations. Purchases are automatically totaled and organized by color-coded categories such as Food and Drinks, Shopping and Entertainment. To help customers better understand their spending, Apple Card provides weekly and monthly spending summaries.

Receive Daily Cash

Customers will receive a percentage of every Apple Card purchase amount back as Daily Cash. Unlike other cash back rewards, Daily Cash is added to customers’ Apple Cash card each day and can be used right away for purchases using Apple Pay, to put toward their Apple Card balance or send to friends and family in Messages. Every time customers use Apple Card with Apple Pay, they will receive 2 percent Daily Cash. Customers will also get 3 percent Daily Cash on all purchases made directly with Apple, including at Apple Stores, on the App Store and for Apple services.

No Fees and Lower Interest

There are no fees associated with Apple Card: no annual, late, international or over-the-limit fees. Apple Card’s goal is to provide interest rates that are among the lowest in the industry and if a customer misses a payment, they will not be charged a penalty rate.

To help customers make informed choices, Apple Card shows a range of payment options and calculates the interest cost on different payment amounts in real time. As a way to pay less interest, Apple Card will also suggest paying a bit more every month and offers the flexibility to schedule more frequent payments.

A New Level of Privacy and Security

A unique card number is created on iPhone for Apple Card and stored safely in the device’s Secure Element, a special security chip used by Apple Pay. Every purchase is secure because it is authorized with Face ID or Touch ID and a one-time unique dynamic security code. The unique security and privacy architecture created for Apple Card means Apple doesn’t know where a customer shopped, what they bought or how much they paid.

Goldman Sachs and Mastercard

Apple is partnering with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard to provide the support of an issuing bank and global payments network. As a newcomer to consumer financial services, Goldman Sachs is creating a different credit card experience centered around the customer, which includes never sharing or selling data to third parties for marketing and advertising. Mastercard will provide cardholders the ability to shop at merchants around the globe.

A Beautiful Titanium Card

Apple has also designed a titanium Apple Card for shopping at locations where Apple Pay is not accepted yet. With no card number, CVV security code, expiration date or signature on the card, Apple Card is more secure than any other physical credit card. All this information is easily accessible in Wallet to use in apps and on websites. For purchases made with the titanium Apple Card, customers will get 1 percent Daily Cash.

Availability

Apple Card will be available to qualified customers in the US this summer.

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According to Forbes, Stephen King is the third highest paid author in 2018 earning $27 million. The king of horror sold 2.7 million domestic books, boosted by the success of the movie version of IT, adapted from his 1986 novel. King nearly doubled his earnings by collecting an eight-figure paycheck from the film, which grossed $700 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. The movie became the highest-grossing R-rated horror movie at the domestic box office, and the sequel, planned for next fall, could break that record again.

To formulate the rankings, Forbes looked at “all earnings estimates from June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018. Figures are pretax; fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not deducted. Earnings estimates are based on data from NPD BookScan and Box Office Mojo, as well as interviews with industry insiders, including some of the authors themselves.”

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“Life is the second name of risk” is a practically proven reality and no matter of life whatsoever is absolutely risk-free. So, one must remain ready and mentally alert to face every kind of risk in life. But, apart from everything else, the risk involved in a startup business is always huge and disastrous no matter how big or small the business may be. A starter is often much worried about a possible loss at the very start and tries his level best to escape a possible failure. They may also take a comprehensive guideline from Pc America POS reviews. Realizing the gravity of the issue, l have put forth a few recommendations for the starters to follow in order to avoid failure in business.

Sufficient Money

A lot of businesses fail due to the lack of sufficient funds to finance the business at the right time. This is because of the wrong estimation about the required investment and the running finance. Whenever there is a sudden need for money to accomplish some specific task in the business, the owner must have enough of it to achieve the task conveniently. Obviously, it is almost impossible to estimate the actually required amount to start a business and run it through all phases. Moreover, readily available cash also gives the owner an extra confidence and courage to cope with the abrupt needs whatsoever.

Sound Planning

Planning has two aspects: An overall planning and a time-to-time planning. Overall planning requires a long-term vision keeping in mind the general features and phases of a business and the ups and downs involved at various stages. If it carries on as per expectations, it is quite well and good. But if the tables turn unexpectedly, it is the time-to-time planning which helps the owner tackle this crisis sensibly and successfully. So, both types of planning must be there in the mind of the owner. A strong co- ordination among the various departments of the business must be a key part of the planning so that minimum risk may be involved.

Efficient Teamwork

No planning or co-ordination is possible without an efficient team or teamwork. The proper execution of the planning is possible only with the help of efficient team members who are both technically and morally befitted for their job. An owner alone cannot run his business successfully no matter how much sharp minded and hard working he may be. He always needs sincere people to execute his sound planning professionally. The starters may learn a lot in this regard if they visit Pc America POS admin

Broadminded Leadership

Even a very good team will not click without a sensible leader and the business may get collapsed. Instead, a wise and broadminded leader will be able to handle each and every team member as per demand of the situation and the business will keep on progressing. Hence, it will be very wise for an owner to analyze his own personality critically and groom within himself the required aspects of a great leader he may be lacking in. A good leader does his research, draws up his plan, delegates responsibilities and does the training whenever necessary.

Consult an Expert

In spite of all the vision and efforts, an owner can never be a full-on business and corporate finance expert. A really professional expert will surely plan a business the way it needs to be. So, an owner should think of hiring an expert as a necessary investment so that he may feel free and have ample time to focus on the other areas of his business as well.

These are some of the necessary precautions which, if taken, will surely save one’s startup business from failure.

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The Walt Disney Company has purchased 21st Century Fox, including the 20th Century Fox Film and Television studios, along with cable and international TV businesses. The deal includes 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox 2000, 20th Century Fox Television, FX Productions, Fox21, FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Regional Networks, Fox Networks Group International, Star India and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Sky, and Endemol Shine Group.

The deal doesn’t include the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network. Those will be spun off into a newly-listed company.

The acquisition will include popular entertainment properties including X-Men, Deadpool, The Fantastic Four, Avatar, and The Simpsons.

It has also been revealed that The Walt Disney Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger has agreed to continue in the position through the end of calendar year 2021.

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The phenomenon of trading binary options has grown exponentially across the globe and Canada is not left behind. With hedge fund managers filling the top spots for people living large in the USA and Europe, it’s only logical that interest in binary trading should be on an all-time high. Although there is no proper legislation on binary options trading in the country, it is a legally acceptable enterprise.

Why Binary Trading

First, options have very high rewards and quick payouts. Returns can be in a few minutes, hours, days or even weeks depending on the trader. Second, trading in options does not necessarily require one to have an educational background in finance or economics. Anyone who can learn how the system works can be a good or excellent trader. Third, unlike stock trading, options allow you to generate returns when prices are both rising and falling. If you can predict a rise in the market, you purchase a call option and put option for a fall in the market. Also, you have quite a variety of assets to trade in. Fourth, you are not limited by demographic barriers. Being a fairly new concept, there are currently no set regulations on binary options trading. This allows you to trade freely. Canadians can trade with both internal and international brokers.Fifth, binary options trading is a global concept. Canadians can benefit from the volatility of international markets like the Asian and European markets. If one market is not doing well, traders can shift to the other increasing profitability.Sixth, most sites offer advanced technologically innovative features like the availability of trading binary options online. This further makes it easy to keep track of your trades even when in motion.Seven, you have bonuses. Most brokers give their clients bonuses at the end of a given trading period. This increases the profitability of the venture. Some of the best binary options sites in Canada include RBoptions which allows you to make a midsized deposit, AnyOption, 24option and Banc de Binary amongst others. Last, it happens within the comfort of a trader’s home. You are your own boss. You have full control of when and how to work.

What are the attributes of a good trader?

The most important quality of a good trader is self-discipline. You should have a clearly defined strategy that you should adhere to. Write it down. You should exercise patience. Don’t rush to make a trade because you have gone too long without making a trade. Wait to make the perfect one. Second, you should have control over emotions. Avoid emotional attachment to a trade. Don’t trade out of excitement or boredom. Third, you should be a moderate risk taker. Trade only what you can afford to lose. Split your capital. Do not put all your capital in one trade. Last, you should be ready to research extensively. This gives you a feel of the market. Go back over the years and get a general idea of what cycle the market is in.

Conclusion

Canadians are especially at an advantage due to the closeness in value between the US and the Canadian dollar. Like any other business, immediate success is not guaranteed. However, one need not be a mathematical genius to excel in the trade. Traders are living large, buying expensive yachts and traveling the world over. It could only mean one thing: the returns on binary options trading are big.